YOUR WASTE WILL HELP WIDOWS OF VIDARBHA TO EARN TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT (16th June 2010, 0940 Hrs)

In the last 12 years – 1997 to 2009 – India has lost more than 200,000 farmers @ of 48 farmers’ suicide every single day for 12 long years to suicide because of various government policies, drought, floods, MNCs’ exploitation and dominance, GM crops, poisonous chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers are the most important community of the nation and surprisingly, instead of helping the farmers to keep continuing farming, we all have closed our eyes because we get food on our dining table without much struggle.

On the 12th of March, I realised that I was also like all others, who are writing, reading, discussing and doing nothing to help the widows of the farmers who have committed suicide. So leaving everything I dedicated my life to support the suicide farmers’ families in Vidarbha. I set my base in Wardha on the 16th of April and since then have been working with farmers’ widows and farmers while trying to understand the reasons of suicide and how I can help these poor widows towards self-reliance to lead a better life with their heads held high.

I started the one-man-crusade on the 18th of March, walked on the streets of Mumbai with a donation box to raise funds for the widows. However, I realised that by living in Mumbai, I will not be able to do much. So finally, last month I have shifted my base from Mumbai to Wardha and will spend all my life serving the widows of Vidarbha. In my lifetime (I really don’t know how many years are left of mine) all I wish is to see farmers’ suicide to stop in Vidarbha and the widows of Vidarbha to become self-reliant as a force that will not only earn their living but also help save the environment through various projects that we plan to execute as funds will start trickling in.

The first project of our movement is setting up a small unit of making paper envelops for kirana / general stores, who have been using plastic to harm the already harmed environment. I have already convinced two widows in village SALOD, who are eagerly looking to start the work ASAP… (please read the exclusive blog: http://support4suicidefarmersfamilies.blogspot.com) and visiting other villages this month to have more members in the team.

This is where your valuable contribution will play a major role to help these widows and nation’s environment. No my dear honorable citizen of India, we are not asking money from you instead in a very humble way, we request you to be kind enough to send us 1,2,3,4,5 or whatever you can, the old issues / used magazines lying in your home as waste, so that we can start making paper envelops, which will be sold to kirana stores… while the widows will earn money by making and selling these envelops, the awareness to safeguard our environment will also help the nation to shun plastic carry bags. If every single individual who is reading this post will send us used / old magazines per month, we will have enough raw materials to make these envelops. We are sure, you will not disappoint us and will send us all the waste magazines month after month… the widows of Vidarbha will be very grateful to you and bless you all from the bottom of their heart and so will the environment too!

Thanking you,

Johnny D

support 4 suicide farmers families

C/o Swapnil Barai

House No: 200

Opp. Dr. Harne’s Hospital

Dhantoli Chowk

Wardha: 442001

Phone: +91 98203 22549

Phone: +91 89830 04533